Hay-tedder



(No Model.)

3 sheets-sheet 1. E. A. 8v M. H. DAVIS.

HAY TEDDBR.

Patented Mar. 26.1895.

m: mums PETERS co.. Pucrduuo. wAsnwn'ron. D. c.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)v

E. A. an M. H. DAVIS.

HAY TEDDBR.v

Y Patented Mar. 26, 1895.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.' E. A. 8u M. H. DAVIS.

BAY TEDDER. No. 536,269. Patented Mar. 26, 1895.

` UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIc-E.

ERNEST A. DAVIS AND MENNo HjDAvIS, oF ALBION, MIcHIeAN.

HAY-TEDDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,269, dated March 26, 1895. Application led October 13,1894. Serial No. 526,229. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.:

Be it known that we, ERNEST A. DAVIS and MENNO H. DAVIS,citizens of theUnited States, residing at Albion, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay-Tedders; and we do declare the following to be a v full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same. t

This invention relates to improvements in hay tedders and it has for its prime object to reduce the cost of manufacture, and render the parts more durable and eective in operation by simplifying the construction, and consequently lessening the labor and exertion of the operator in throwing the parts in and out of gear.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which Figure l, isa vertical, longitudinal, sectional view taken in the plane indicated by the dotted line, m, on Fig. 4, with parts broken away. Fig. 2, is a similar view showing the parts in a position with the pinions out of engagement with the internal gear. Fig. 3, is another and similar view, illustrating the pinions out of gear with the internal toothed wheel, and the main frame tilted, raising the forks to their greatest elevation. Fig. 4,is a rear View of the machine. Fig. 5, is a plan view with parts broken away and partly in lsection, illustrating the cranked axle, the tilting beam, and the hinged connection. Fig. 6, is a perspective view of the hinge-plate and bolt for connecting the shaft with the main frame, and Fig. 7, is a side View of a part of one of the forks with oneof the tines in section and illustrating,in dotted lines, the position which the teeth or tines assume when they meet au obstruction and Fig. 8, is an enlarged detail view illustrating the manner in which the lever fr, link S, and stop A', are connected.

Referring by letter to said drawings, A, indicates the driving and supporting wheels, which may be of a construction usually employed. These wheels carry on their inner sides internally-toothed gears or rings b, which are fixed concentrically as shown and said wheels are journaled on the cranked ends of A a transversely-disposed, horizontal axle C.

Above this axle is arranged transversely a tilting beam B, which is connected with and journaled upon the axle by means of arms E, secured to the ends of said beam by screws, bolts, orthe like, and these arms have eyes a, to receive the straight part of the axle. Extending rearwardly from this tilting beam are a sufficient number of bracket arms F, which are provided in their rear or-free ends with bearings for a transversely-disposed crank-shaft G, which shaft may be of the construction at present in use; the cranks being suitably disposed in opposite directions and having journaled on them at a suitable point in their length the forks H. Rising from this tilting beam and preferably at the forward edge thereof, are uprights I, there being one for eachl fork. These uprights are of a'suficient length and are provided at or near their upper ends with arms c, which are pivotally connected with the upper ends of the forks as shown. The crank shaft G, which has its bearings in the rearwardlyextended, bracket-arms F, has fixed to it at each end a toothed-pinion J, which pinions are designed to engage with the internal gear b, and receive motion therefrom. So it will be seen that as the machine is moved along with the pinions in engagement with the internal gears, the turning of the wheels will correspondingly turn the internal gears so as to transmit motion to the pinions which will be imparted to the crank shaft and from there through the medium of the cranks to the forks.

K, indicates the shafts or thills. These shafts are suitablyconnected by two crossbars d and e, the cross bar e serving as aconvenient means of support for the drivers seat L, andtsaid bars together form a support for a curvilinear rack M, as will be hereinafter more 'fully described.

nected to the main frame'in a hinged manner, and the hinge comprises aplate N, better shown in Fig. 6, of the drawings, which is provided with bolt apertures f, to receive bolts, and there is one plate placed on the under side of each shaft at its inner end. These plates are. provided on the upper sides and The shafts are coni about midway their length with a lng journal g, having a transverse eye h, to receive the angular branch 315, of a bolt P. Extending beyond this lug journal, is a branch j, which normally extends beneath the tiltingr beam B. The bolt P, is threaded at one end as shown and passes through the tilting beam, where it receives a nut 7c. By this construction it will be seen that we have a very du- Io rable and effective hinge-connection between the tilting beam and consequently the main frame and the shafts.

The curvilinear plate M, for the sake of lightness and cheapness, is of a skeleton form,

't5 having two converging branches Z, and at the lower ends of these branches is jou rnaled one end of a hand lever Q, which is so shaped as to be brought within convenient reach of the driver. This hand lever is designed to move 2o along the toothed, curvilinear plate or rack and it carries the usual spring bolt m, for en gaging the rack and a pivoted hand piece n, for manipulating said bolt.

Secured to and depending from the crank z5 axle, is an arm R, which may be fixed to the axle by means of a set-screw p, or other suitable fastening device. This depending arm has its lower end pivotally connected with one end of a link q, which link has its other 3o end pivotally connected with a lever r. This lever o' is pivoted at a suitable point in its length to one of the rearwardlyextending bracket-arms F, and said lever is pivoted at its opposite or upper end with a slotted link S, which is in turn pivotally connected with the hand lever Q as shown at s.

Rising from the tilting beam is a standard T, and this standard is provided with a stud t, or the like, which takes through the slot tt,

4o in the link S. The distance of this slot is such that when the pin or stud of the standard engages one end of the slot, the beam B, will begin to tilt forwardly, While when the pin rests in the opposite end of the slot, the

pinions will always be in engagement with the internal gear.

The fork arms Il, are provided at their lower ends with two lateral castings U, ar ranged one on each side. These castings are 5o curved as shown and form journal bearings for the forks or tines thereof. The forks are formed from suitable metal and two tines are formed from one piece; the material being bent midway of its length so as to form an angular connection V. These teeth or tines are journaled in the castings as shown, and are held in an operative position by means of springs XV. These springs are of a peculiar construction, being secured at their upper 6o ends to the arms of the forks and are thence curved longitudinally and terminatein angular portions X, as shown. These springs are placed so as to have the curved portion always engaging the angular portions of the teeth,

holding said teeth in the position better shown in Fig. 7, of the drawings, in full lines. Should the teeth meet a stone or other obstruction, they will assume the position shown in dotted lines, and immediately after passing the obstruction will be thrown back into an operative position by the action of said springs; the bent portions X, of said springs limiting the movement of the teeth so that they will not fail to be returned to their proper position after passing over the obstruction.

In operation, it will be seen that when it is desirable to raise the forks from the ground, by simply moving the hand lever forwardly about three notches, the link S, moving with said lever will first act upon the pivoted lever r, drawing the link q, with it the arm R, and turning the crank axle, using the hubs of the wheels as a fulcru m. This will move the beam B, slightly lower and forwardly, thereby bringing the bracket arms F, in a similar d irection and disengaging the pinions from theinternal gear. The parts at this operation are shown in the position illustrated in Fig. 2, of the drawings. Should it now become necessary to elevate the forks higher, such as when going home or transporting the machine from place to place, the operator should throw the hand lever forwardly so as to engage either the first or any other suitable notch in the rack. The slotted link upon the starting of this lateral movement will have its slotdrawn up against the stud or pin in the standard T, and this acting upon the standard will tilt the beam B, thereby raising the forks higher through the medium of the uprights I, which are tilted with said beam. It will be observed that the first actionin disengaging the pinions frorn the internal gear, causes the crank axle to turn in the hubs of the wheels so as to lower the frame, while the subsequent movement of the lever tilts the beam supporting the parts.

Itis sometimes desirable to elevate the forks slightly without disengaging the pinions from the teeth of the internal gear, and for this purpose, we provide a stop for the engagement of the standard T. This stop maycom IOO prise a block A', pivoted at one end by the pin a', which connects the lever r, with the link S, and is designed when let down, as in Fig. l, to abut against the standard T. The stop may have a cross-piece a2 to limit its downward movement, and it is provided with a vertically disposed handle B', which should be within convenient reach of the driver. The normal position of the stop is down and in engagement with said standard, so as to hold the link S, with the forward end of its slot against the pin t. Now by throwing the hand lever forwardly to about the third notch of the rack M, the beam B, and its fixed parts will be tilted so as to cause the arms carrying the cranked shaft and consequently the pinions to describe the arc of a circle yet holding contact with the teeth of the internal gear. This will cause the forks to be lifted with the frame.

Vthile We have described very specifically and described.

Having described our invention, what we claim is- -1. In a hay tedder, the combination with a tilting frame, a crank-shaft journaled thereon,a crank-axle, supporting wheels carrying internal gears, forks secured to the crank shaft, arms connecting the upper ends of said forks to the tilting frame, pinions on the crank shaft adapted to engage the internal gear, a pivoted hand lever, and suitable connections between the hand lever, the tilting frame, and the crank axle for moving said axle and tilting the frame, substantially as specified.

2. In a hay tedder, the combination with the crank axle and supporting wheels carrying internal gears, of the tilting frame supported on said axle, the cranked shaft journaled onl said frame and carrying the forks, pinions fixed on said shaft and .engaging the internal gears `of the wheels, the arms connecting the upper ends of the forks with said frame, the standard rising from the frame, the arms secured to the axle, the lever pivoted to the tilting frame, the slotted link, engaging the standard and connecting the upper end of said pivoted lever 'with the hand lever, and the link connecting the opposite end ofsaid pivoted lever with the arm on the crank shaft, substantially as specified.

3. In a hay tedder, the combination of the crank axle having an arm R, supporting wheels mounted on said axle, and carrying gears b, the tilting frame supported on the axle, the crank shaft journaled on said frame and carrying forks and provided with pinions engaging the gears b, arms connecting the upper ends of the forks and the tilting frame,

the standard T, 4rising from the frame, the

lever fr, fulcrumed on the frame, the handlever, a link connecting the lever r, and the arm R, of the axle, the slotted link connecting the lever fr, and the hand lever and engaging the standard, and the stop pivotally connected to the lever o", and adapted to abut against thev standard T, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST A. DAvis. MENNo n. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

OTTO HAHN, HENRY A. TRAvER. 

